Growing up, I was a natural creative but connection with nature was not part of my upbringing …
I grew up in a small town called Tokoroa. A town built on pine forestry, farming and sustained by a pulp mill. Conservation and nature was not a key part of the local culture. But times have changed. The rest of Aotearoa seems to be catching up with Coromandel’s long-standing communities who have fought long and hard to protect te taiao (nature), the taonga (treasure) that sustains this peninsula’s healthy waterways and healthy people … and of course inspires all you talented creatives!
But it takes generations of passionate and active nature-lovers to continue the protection of mother nature.
So while some of my peers are deciding not to have children due to the state of the world (or at least the intense awareness of it), my children give me hope.
They give me a reason to fight for a better future. To fight for a thriving nature that they can enjoy recreationally, consume sustainably and use to inspire creativity.
Everything I have learned about nature in my adulthood, they are learning in their childhood. It is already becoming part of their everyday experiences.
From my toddler helping me harvest green leaves from the garden for dinner to my baby learning to crawl under the magnolia tree in the yard.
Being outside and connecting with the environment is one of my favourite things to do with my children.
Helping them learn how to respect nature is incredibly rewarding.
Ra knows not to touch bees because he might get a mamae (hurt) so he waves at them and says “Hi bee” in the cutest toddler voice. He also says hi to the flowers.
As the children get older, I will teach them more about the complexities of nature.
My marine studies diploma will become relevant once again as I take them snorkelling to show them that #NotAllStingrays are harmful (RIP Steve Irwin). They will see that fish are not just kai, but living animals living their best life – as long as they have habitat to thrive in. They will learn that trees are essential for life as they provide shade and shelter for animals, including humans. Oh and they give us oxygen to breathe. That’s pretty essential.
You can’t care about what you don’t know about – exploring and learning about biodiversity has been one of the most important things I’ve done in my adult life and I’m still always learning. I had to google ‘are magnolia leaves or petals poisonous?’
In the process of nurturing my babies in nature, I feel like I am also being nurtured. Watching children play and explore in nature is intrinsically enriching. It is healing. It is natural. Initiatives like Enviroschools give me hope for children who don’t have immediate access to connecting with nature.
As I’ve said before: It takes a village. But one could also say that it takes an ecosystem.
Read the full Motherhood Series here.
Words by Elvisa Van Der Leden
